Interview: Paloma Faith

THE incredible powerhouse that is Paloma Faith will be in the region soon as part of her UK tour.

Paloma’s current album A Perfect Contradiction has been one of the huge success stories of the year, recently being certified platinum.

US singer/songwriter Brett Dennen will be supporting Paloma at Sheffield City Hall on Tuesday, October 28.

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Brett has already released five albums in America, but hasn’t set foot in the UK since 2007.

His guitar playing is a hybrid of finger picking and soul-inspired rhythm, and his striking wordplay and melodies have seen him draw comparision to Bob Dylan.

The Advertiser caught up with Paloma who told us this was her biggest tour yet, she’s added a brass section to her band, and hoped more than six people will turn up to watch.

We don’t think she has anything to worry about there!

Do you have any highlights from previous tours?

The Scottish audiences are always super receptive, the further north you go the more rowdy people get. As a performer I prefer it because I like to feel people are giving it back as it makes me perform energetically. I also consider myself to be an honorary northerner. Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, all that way I love as I used to live in Leeds so have quite an affinity with the people there

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When you tour over 20 dates like this, any home comforts that you take with you?

We’re on a tour bus most of the time so we all have a lot of different exciting types of pyjama. A lot of onesis flying around. On one tour, this will probably end up the same, you know in the Big Lebowski how the dude is always in his flip flops and dressing gown holding a white Russian? That is basically me on tour. In my flip flops and dressing gown until two hours before stage then I go and turn into this glamorous thing. The rest of the day I have a pyjama party. It's funny, people always say being on tour must be so gruelling but I think it is the most ungruelling element of my job. Shall I tell you why? Because I hate doing interviews. It’s basically luxury to me to get up every morning and have literally nothing to do for an entire day, then do two hours work at the end of the day. Two hours to get ready then two hours on stage, that’s four hours work a day. That’s nothing compared to normal days. Yesterday I woke up, started work at 8am and finished at 1.30am, that’s a normal day for me. On tour is like going on holiday. All those musicians who are telling you it’s hard are bloody lazy. It’s easy. And also you get to perform so you get full of natural drugs every night, adrenaline and stuff.

Do you get a chance to explore the cities?

I tend not to because when I’m outside London it’s quite difficult for me to go incognito and I find that quite exhausting. I try to really just reserve my energy when I am on tour. If I go out and do pictures with everyone in the street all day I’ll be tired by the time I come to perform. I tend to just hide away. Even if I go out in my flip flops and my onesie they do recognise me, believe me I’ve tried it.

Is it the same for holidays, do you have to go aboard?

Yeah I tend to go to places where I’m not well-known. It’s getting worse, the bigger each release gets.

Are you happy with the success of this album?

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I am happy, but obviously it could have done worse and it could have done better!

European Tour is next until mid December - are you thinking about Christmas yet?

I haven’t really thought about it, usually I am the one who organises Christmas for everyone but I think this year I am going to stand down because I'm really tired. I’d really like to mention that I am doing another UK tour in March.

That’s an arena tour, how does that feel?

I had only done one arena before in London and it is exhilarating. It’s scary as well because you’ve got to get your act together and get organised, put on a good show. I am really excited but also nervous as it is a lot of seats to fill and it is very obvious when you haven’t filled them.

Your success continues to build here and abroad.

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I was number one in Australia and that’s my first number one in my career, that was for a few weeks so it’s pretty amazing. It’s building nicely and doing well in Holland which is reassuring as it was Holland that broke Pharrell with Happy on his comeback. So yeah I am pleased. I am doing a lot more damage than I have in the past

 

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